Bittersweet Motives
by RachaelGoesRawrrr
Summary: "Your family lied to you. Your friends lied to you. Everyone you've ever met has lied to you." He paused for a moment and smiled at me, "But you can trust me. I can show you the true extent of your powers. Together, we can be unstoppable." Vaati/Oc
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi you guys! Well, here's the rewrite of _Misunderstood_. There were just so many mistakes in it. Seriously, it was bad. So hopefully this one is better quality.  
>The story line is the same, just reworded. Tell me what you think.<br>Oh. And I'm still proofreading through the other chapters, but I just thought I'd give you the first one, since it's done.  
><strong>**Welp. Enjoy(:**

* * *

><p>Hello, my name is Rosemarie, and I am a princess. Not exactly a well-known princess, but a princess nonetheless.<p>

I found an introduction necessary because, as I said I'm not very distinguished. Hell, I've never even met anyone outside of Hyrule Town that's even heard of me, which is odd, considering everyone knows my sister.

Who is she you ask?

Her name is Zelda. Princess Zelda.

You may know her as the heir to the Hyrulian throne or as the holder of the triforce of wisdom. But the point is that she's the one everyone knows and loves. She's known throughout the whole land of Hyrule, and probably beyond, as one of the most beautiful princesses to have ever lived. A kind and loving figure that brings hope to the land.

Which, of course, makes me feel like absolute shit.

I can tell you I'm jealous of my sister. The bitterness that fills my soul is fueled only by the fact that she's older than me by 15 minutes. It's funny how just 15 minutes can ruin a person's life.

And it doesn't help that my parents didn't exactly know they were having twin daughters. Just imagine the look of joy that crossed their faces when the doctor announced that my mother wasn't done giving birth.

…In case you didn't know, that was sarcasm.

Like almost every other younger sibling, I often I find myself wishing that I was born first. Not only would I be the heir to the throne, but people would know me. I'd no longer be the one in the shadows, and I could finally have the attention I long for.

It's an utterly selfish wish, but if you knew what it was like to try to live up to Ms. Perfect you'd understand.

At least if I was the heir, then my parents would have something to be proud of me for. And it's not like Zelda would have turned out like me, dejected and vehement towards the world. She would still have the Triforce, because, if I've heard correctly, the order of births doesn't affect whom it chooses. We'd be able to share the 'glory' (or whatever you want to call it) of being Hyrule's princesses. Zelda and I could actually have a real, sisterly relationship instead of the one-sided envy I feel towards her.

I say one-sided because heaven knows Zelda is incapable of feeling anything more hostile than apathy towards someone, especially her own sister.

I understand that it's not fair for me to feel anything remotely close to hate towards her merely from the order of our births, something which happened by chance, or fate, or whatever. But if that was the only reason you could think of to support your feelings, you would understand.

* * *

><p>I was where I could usually be found on any nice day, in the garden of the castle, sitting on the swing hanging from a large tree and reading. Today, it was my spell books that had my undivided attention. I wanted to get ahead in my magic lessons.<p>

I could faintly hear whistling in the distance, getting closer with each passing second. Cautiously, I raised my head. It was just Link, my sister's best friend (and probably secret boyfriend). I watched as he strolled past the garden, looking over at me and waving. I gave him a half smile, and waved back.

Apparently returning a wave is the new signal for, "Ayyyye buddy! Why don't you come over and talk to me! I'm TOTALLY in the mood for socialization."

Once he was closer to me, he held his arms out expectantly for a hug. I sighed and marked the page I was on before placing my book beside me and standing up to receive the inevitable.

Despite what many think, Link is a huggy person, and if I didn't give him one now he'd feel obligated to basically surprise attack me later.

"Hey Rosemarie" He said cheerily, "nice weather huh?"

I laughed at his attempt at small talk, "Link, you don't have to feel obligated to talk to me. I know why you're here. Zelda's in her room, so just go and see her."

He sighed "Thanks, but honestly, you're one of my best friends. When are you going to believe me when I say that you're just as important as you think Zelda is?"

I snorted in reply, "Nice joke buddy. If it was the truth, then I wouldn't feel so ignored by everyone." Link sighed once again and gave me a look that resembled pity, something that I already got enough of.

As he walked away, he muttered something along the lines of, "I wasn't kidding."

I ignored it, and sat back down to continue reading.

* * *

><p>You know that awkward moment when you think 'Why do I even try? This shit's easy.' And then the next thing you come across is the hardest thing in the world?<p>

Yeah. I was having one of those moments.

It was over one of the spells that I was assigned, the last one in my assignment actually.

This was supposedly an advanced spell. Then again, my teacher said that about the rest of my homework, and I was able to do those on my first try. I had tried 4 times already, and I had nothing even remotely resembling success. I was staring hard at the page, and rereading all information on it. According to the book, I had done everything right…

I stood up, and tried once more.

Nothing.

I let out a sound of extreme agitation.

Then a thought crossed my mind. I could make a quick run over to my teacher's house to ask a few questions.

Screw the fact I'm not supposed to leave the castle grounds unattended, it's not like anyone is going to notice…

This reasoning was enough for me.

Walking back into the castle grounds and earning shocked looks and stupid questions from the guards gave me a feeling of gratification. It was probably because I was just proving a point to myself, and silently to everyone else, that no one notices when I'm gone.

I ignored the comments and questions from the guards about my location and how long I was gone for, and just kept walking.

It's not like they actually cared anyway. They were just trying to find out so they could tell my father.

I reached for the handle of the door to the castle, but it was already being opened. I jumped back out of surprise, and so that the door wouldn't hit me. Even though I took that precaution, the opener of the door still managed to run into me.

"Hey!" I growled, rubbing my head and glaring at the person. My glare softened when I realized who it was. "Oh, it's just you Roku." I said.

Roku happened to be my best friend. I met him a few years ago when he accidentally pushed me into a fountain. Long story short, we've been friends ever since then.

He blew his dark red hair out of his green eyes, before focusing his gaze on me. "Rosiecakes!" he shouted, using his stupid pet name that he came up for me when we were just kids.

He quickly stood up, helping me up with him, only to pull me into a bone crushing hug and twirling me around. It was his typical greeting.

It always made me laugh. No scratch that. He always made me laugh. Roku is the only person that I can tell anything to. He's not judgmental, even when I'm complaining about my sister. And always knows how to make me feel better.

"I haven't seen you all day, where've you been?" He asked, a worried tone in his voice.

I smiled at him, "Well, today I was reading in the garden, and then I went to go get help from my magic teacher."

"Well that's fun."

"Only slightly."

"It sounds better than my day. I had to run errands for your father."

"Like what?"

"Boring stuff, like getting something from a friend in town or surveying the perimeter…which reminds me, he wants to see you.

I groaned, "Why?"

"I don't know."

I probably looked worried because Roku then added, "I'll come with you though. You know in case you get scared."

"I don't get scared."

"Oh really? What about-"

"Shut your mouth and come on."

* * *

><p>I actually wished that Roku didn't come with me. He stood beside me awkwardly as my father yelled.<p>

Although, I suppose it can't really be considered yelling, since my father never actually raised his voice. But his tone was that of disappointment, which hurt me more.

I resisted the urge to wince at every sentence that was dripping with his disapproval in my actions. My sister, who sat in her throne next his, attempted to get him to stop.

"Father," She started, only to get shot down.

"Stay out of this Zelda." He snapped, "Rosemarie, I can't believe how careless you are! You just left castle grounds without taking anyone with you, or even getting permission. You could've been kidnapped...or worse." He leaned back in his throne, pinching the bridge of his nose before adding, "Why can't you be more cautious, like your sister?"

"Father," I started calmly "First of all, I don't see why you are making such a big deal out of this. There's no evil about at the moment. Besides, I have a perfectly good reason for leaving. I had a question involving my magic studies."

"You went all the way to Minish Woods without telling anyone?" My father interrupted, I ignored his outburst and continued talking.

"And besides, I rarely ever sneak out of the castle, while Zelda does it basically on a daily basis. You want me to be more like her? I'll just leave whenever the Hell I want."

"She at least takes Link with her."

"So? What can Link do against a surprise attack? Against magic? Nothing."

My dad sighed, "That's not the point. The point is that you're…" He stopped

"What?"

"Not careful enough. You're a princess, although you certainly don't act like one."

I know that's not what he was going to originally say, but ignored it and continued ranting.

"I don't care! It's not like I'm ever considered a princess. No one even knows about me."

"That's not true."

"Oh yeah? Name one person outside of this kingdom." He fell silent, "That's what I thought." I paused for a second, deciding that I wasn't done complaining, "And on top of that, it's not like any villain has ever tried to capture me. The only role I play is a royal understudy for Zelda. And since Link always saves her, I don't have a purpose. In case you haven't noticed, I don't matter"

My father sighed, obviously exasperated, "Rosemarie," he started in a more reasonable voice "Calm down. You do matter."

"Just not as much as Zelda, right?" I shot back

His eyes widened "How can you think that! You're my daughter and I love you."

"Not as much as Zelda." I repeated,

"Rosemarie" My sister started, "That's not true."

"NO!" I screamed. The room fell silent. "I'm sick and tired of all of this! Of being called a princess, of having pointless restrictions, of having to force myself to believe that I'm important. I know you try to keep my existence a secret. Why? Are you ashamed of me?" I scoffed, "I've heard that you didn't even know that you were having me. I bet you don't even want me."

"STOP THAT THIS INSTANT." My dad shouted. I immediately shut my mouth from shock. I've never heard my father yell. Ever. "You need to stop acting like this. Stop wallowing in self-pity and saying that no one cares, because look around. You have people who love you." I opened my mouth to say something else, but he gave me a glare and cut me off with a harsh "Go to your room. Now."

I narrowed my eyes at my father, and swiftly turned to run out of the throne room. All I heard as I was running away was my father call Roku's name, and tell him to come back, denying me the only person I find comfort in.

When I was finally in my room, I collapsed on my bed and started crying. Whether it was out of frustration, anger, or sadness I couldn't tell.

I wanted to disappear. To just run away and never come back.

Then realization hit me. I've had this thought for years.

I've wanted to get out of this castle and see all of the lands of Hyrule, and the rest of the world, for as long as I can remember. But there's always been something stopping me. Things like fear and danger.

Today however, I felt no fear. There was no knot in my stomach stopping me. All of the villains that dared to mess with the Royal Family were sealed away, and have been for years. And even if something happened, I'm not helpless. I know magic, I can swordfight.

I stood up, wiping my tears away. My mind was made up. I was leaving tonight.

* * *

><p>Excitement bubbled up inside of me as I shoved clothes and other useful items into my adventure bag.<p>

Fun fact: My adventure bag was a gift from my father. He bought it from a travelling merchant, and it was connected to its own storage realm. However, the space wasn't exactly infinite. If I put too much in there were two possible outcomes. That some of the stuff would disappear to make room for new items, or that the realms would explode, creating something resembling a black hole. Let's just say that if the second one happened, it could have the potential to wipeout everything within a ten mile radius.

But hey, no big deal.

I proceeded to look through my closet for any other useful clothes, and found my old adventure gear.

Man this brings back memories.

It was from when I went along with Link and his creepy talking hat on an adventure to try to find a way to save Zelda…well if I remember correctly my motives were to try to get closer to Link and steal him away from my sister.

I used to have one hell of a crush on him.

Unfortunately, I didn't exactly work, because I saw how much he cared for my sister. In fact, it just made me even more jealous of her…

I sighed at the memoires, and threw it into the bag, in case there was a chance that it still fit, since I didn't have time to try anything on.

It took me a few more minutes to pack than I had planned, which meant I had to quickly change out of my dress (not suitable adventure wear, you know?) and hurriedly write my good bye letters.

Sadly, the letters also took longer than I thought to finish, which I suppose actually worked in my favor, since it was now nighttime and I could use the darkness to my advantage.

I quickly left the letter for my sister and dad on my bed, shoving the second letter into the pockets of my cloak. I grabbed by bag, and slung the strap around my shoulder while I made my way to the window. I nervously glanced down at the vines, praying that they would hold me as I started descending the wall.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I made a break for the stables, where my horse Sprinkles was kept.

I barely made it 10 feet from the castle walls when I heard a scream come from my room. It sounded like my sister.

I swore and quickened my pace, adrenaline fueling my mad dash across the grounds.

There was no way that she had found the letter so fast. No way in hell.

I hadn't even made it off of the castle's property line. Shit, I haven't even gotten my horse.

This was not good.


	2. Chapter 2

Zelda walked swiftly down the corridor to her sister's room. They needed to talk.

She had never known that Rosemarie felt that way about her. Her own sister loathed her. The very thought of it made her want to burst into tears.

The princess took a deep, calming breath as she stood in front of her sister's door, and lifted up her fist to knock at the door. There was no answer. Not even the usual "Go away."

"Rosie?" Zelda questioned, knocking a second time. She was met with the same thing as her first try. Complete and utter silence.

Her stomach churned. She had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling.

"Rosemarie, open the door."

Nothing.

"Please?" Zelda added, worry obvious in her voice.

Even with the added politeness, she heard no movement on the other side of the door. Zelda grasped the door knob and pushed the door open.

The only thing Zelda was met with was a chill from the breeze that came through the open window. Was her sister kidnapped?

Her eyes traveled over the room, searching for a note, a clue, anything to explain where her sister went. Then she saw it.

A letter.

Cautiously, Zelda made her way over to the bed, where the piece of paper sat, and picked it up, reading it quickly.

_To my dearest father and sister,_

_Clearly, if you've found this I'm no longer at the castle. However, the point of this letter is not to state the obvious, it's to set some things straight. First of all, I didn't leave because of the fight we had earlier. I'm not that hotheaded. I left because I realized how little I'm actually needed here. I thought that it wouldn't matter if I went on a little adventure of my own. I've always wanted to see the world, you know that. And it's not like I'm going to be gone forever, so don't worry._

_This second thing is aimed at Zelda. Y__ou're my sister and I love you.__I can't stress that fact enough. __I know that I haven't exacltly made it seem that way over the years, but I do. I'm just extremely envious of you. You're pretty, you're the heir, everyone knows you, you're genuinely nice, and you have a guy like Link (And even if you're not secretly dating him, he's still a hell of a guy). __I don't hate you, I could never hate you. _

_The final thing is for you Dad. I love you dearly but it always appears that you put Zelda first. I know that she's the heir to the thrown and holder of the Triforce of Wisdom and all that stuff, and I get it, she's important, but that still doesn't justify the fact that you don't exactly give me the same amount of attention. And I know it's partially my fault because I have a tendency to push everyone away, but still...I just want to know why. Why you tried to cover me up, don't deny it, I know you have. Why you don't let me do most of the things that I want. Why I'm the one that gets in trouble. Maybe when I get back, you can give me the answers to those questions._

_I love you both, and ask that you respect my choice and don't follow me or try to bring me back. I'll come back on my own, when I'm ready._

_Love and sparkles,_  
><em>Rosemarie<em>

Zelda was frozen in shock. Her sister wasn't kidnapped, she had left. This had the potential to be much worse. There was a moment of internal panic of what she should do. Her mind was in whirl as a list of options ran through her head. It was too much for the usually level headed princess.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she screamed.

* * *

><p>Roku heard a ruckus outside his door. He glanced up from his dinner and saw a letter slide through the mail slot. Curiously, he walked over and picked it up, ignoring the hoof beats that he heard running out of town.<p>

_Dear Roku,_

_You know how I always joked about leaving? About running away, and not looking back? Well, it's not exactly a joke anymore. I need to get away from her. Away from my father, away from Little Miss Perfect, away from feeling useless, even if only for a little while. I don't exactly know where I'm heading yet, or what's going to happen. __I just want to make a name for myself. Whether that name is good or bad…well that's for fate to decide._

_I want to say that you are the most amazing person ever, and I love you so much. You are the bestest best friend I could have ever wished for. And as my best friend, I ask that you don't come after me._

_Love and Sparkles,  
><em>_Rosie-cakes_

_Ps. I'll try my hardest to drop by for a visit soon, try not to cry too much until then._

He didn't have time to smile at her stupid sign off that she always used in her letters, or the fact that she used his nickname for her, because he immediately ran outside, looking for any sign of his best friend. But there was nothing. He wanted to cry. His best friend had just left, and he couldn't stop her.

Roku ran back into the house and pulled on his guard uniform, tucking the letter next to his heart, and ran back out the door. He was going to the castle to see if they needed him, although he would have to refuse if they asked him to go on a search party. He knew what Rosemarie had asked of him, and he was going to try his hardest to respect that. No matter how much it hurt him.

* * *

><p>As I rode into Link's small village in South Hyrule Field, I glanced behind me. No guards. I sighed in relief, knowing that I was in the clear for the moment. My horse Sprinkles whinnied and slowed from a sprint into a trot as we passed Link's house, the lights were out, suggesting that he was still at the castle.<p>

I stared at his house for a moment. I was going to miss Link. Hell, I was going to miss everyone now that I think about it.

Maybe this wasn't such an amazing idea.

I quickly shook that thought from my head. I couldn't chicken out now.

I dug my heels into Sprinkles's sides and urged him to speed up just a bit. We needed to get as far away from Hyrule as possible tonight because, knowing my father, he wasn't going to listen to me. He was going to send troops out after me, and if I didn't get far from here, then they'll easily find me. And after everything I just went through, I refuse to have those idiotic guards drag me back to the confinements of the castle.

* * *

><p>Roku burst through the doors to the throne room, causing everyone to jump. The boy glanced at the four people as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes wandered over the surprised faces of Zelda, King Hyrule, Link, and the Prime Minister.<p>

"I came as fast as I could." He announced.

"What? How did you know?" Zelda questioned,

"She left me a letter."

"And? Did you try to stop her?" The princess asked, worry evident on her face.

"I never actually talked to her. By the time I got outside, she was already out of town."

The king muttered a string of curses under his breath, before turning to the elderly man on his right, "Minister, tell the Commander to ready all guard units. We need to find my daughter as fast as possible,"

"Certainly, Your Highness." The minister quickly ran from the room to carry out his orders. The room fell silent for a moment, but Roku quickly broke that.

"Uhm, Your Highness, I have a question."

"Fire away Roku."

"I was just wondering why it's so important that we find Rosemarie immediately. I mean, she can take care of herself, and there's not much that can threaten her safety at the moment. Link defeated Ganon when he tried to attack last year, and Vaati has been sealed away within the Four Sword for nearly 8 years. And even if either of them were around, it's not like they would recognize her, or even have a motive to capture her. I don't understand why you can't just let her do this, she'll come back soon."

The king sighed, "There are a few things wrong with what you just said."

"W-what?" Roku stuttered out, embarrassed by the thought that he could have made a mistake.

"Don't feel bad my boy, they're things that I've tried hard to keep a secret. First of all, what you said about Rosemarie-"

"Rosemarie?" Roku interrupted, before going into a series of questions.

King Hyrule cleared his throat, causing the young guard to fall silent. "As I was saying, it's something that I've tried very hard to keep a secret." By this time, the king had the undivided attention of the 3 kids in the room. "Have you ever heard of something called Tainted Power?"

"No, sir."

"That doesn't surprise me, not many people have. Every generation someone is born with miraculous power sealed inside of them. Thankfully, the power can only be awakened if the user is aware they have it, and since not many people have even heard of it, the number of people who have used the power is but a handful, although, the outcomes of those few instances were quite tragic. You see the power is dark and twisted. It feeds off of the feelings and emotions of the user. If that person is pure hearted, then there's nothing to worry about. However, if the host has the slightest trace of hate or bitterness, then the power will target it at it, slowly causing it to fester and grow stronger. Their motives become overshadowed by their hate, and causes them to misuse the powers."

"And what exactly does this have to do with Rosemarie?"

"She has had the terrible fortune of being the chosen one of this generation."

The three youths in the room expressed some form of shock. Zelda, being the first to recover, asked a question, "Well, you said that not many people know of this power. So who exactly could target her?"

"Vaati." The king answered.

"But he was sealed away..." Roku said, not noticing the fact that Link shifted uncomfortably.

"That was something else that you got wrong. I'll let Link explain it..."

Link sighed, "As I delivered the finishing blow to Vaati, something weird happened. Light basically exploded from his body, and he was lifted into the air and morphed out of his Demon form. I watched as he was split in two, his Minish form and his Hylian form. The Hylian form was absorbed into the Four Sword, and as that was happening the Minish Vaati was released from his suspension in the air. There was a bunch of smoke and he disappeared, I guess he teleported or something. I was unable to stop him because I was too concentrated on controlling the sword as it trapped the other Vaati..."

"But…how? Why did that happen?" Zelda said looking at her father for an answer.

"After Link told me what happened, I went looking for answers, and I found only one thing that explained it. Even though he was weakened, he was too strong for the sword to imprison due to the powers that the Wishing Cap granted him. In order to trap him, the sword split him apart, and absorbed the eviler and more powerful copy."

"Wait…if it took the darker and more powerful copy, shouldn't that mean that the free Vaati isn't evil, and doesn't have his powers?" The princess asked.

"If Vaati was just a normal person that had just strayed from the path of good, then that would be the case. But since he was completely consumed by a lust for power and hate, it didn't exactly have that effect. And since he was granted his powers by a magical item as strong as the Wishing Cap, he still retained some of them, even after being cut in two. Vaati is still out there, and even though he's weakened, he's still evil."

"And you think he'll be looking into other powers he could manipulate?"

"That's right. And that's why I'm worried about Rosemarie."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really hate how this chapter turned out. I hated having to change the point of view. ****And the part with Vaati and how he was sealed away is weird, and so is the explanation of Rosemarie's powers. It was really hard for me to find the right wording for it. ****Ugh. And ****I had to rewrite that last section so many times, and then once I actually liked it, my computer freaked and I lost it. So hopefully it makes sense, because I'm too sick of it to try rewriting it again. /END RANT**

**Ahahaha. ****Anyway. That was the 2nd Chapter. Hopefully you liked it(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So...I'm not dead. Big thanks to Mysteriousguy898 for sending me a message. I got the alert on my email, and was like 'LOL OOPS.'**  
><strong>I FORGOT ABOUT THIS WHOLE WEBSITE AND MY STORY AND YEAH.<strong>  
><strong>This chapter has actually been written for about a month and a half, just chilling in the document manager. I never put it up because I didn't like it. But, this story needed an update so I decided to just finish editing and publish it. Hopefully everything makes sense.<strong>  
><strong>Please review and show me you care!<strong>

* * *

><p>It was morning by the time we actually reached an inn, and both Sprinkles and I were exhausted.<p>

I'm actually pretty sure Sprinkles was mad at me for making him work so hard. After all, he was used to just staying in the stables and eating apples all day. Although, I would take him out and practice my horseback riding and archery, or he would taking a relaxing run around the field. But that was only on occasion, because Sprinkles is a _very_ lazy horse.

I tied him to a post on the porch of the inn, and as I attempted to walk away, he nudged me roughly, almost causing me to fall. I turned to face him, and saw that he was glaring at me, well at least as close as a horse can get to glaring. He even took it a step further and blew air out of his nose in what appeared to be irritation, thus confirming my suspicion that he was upset with me on some level.

"Oh stop being such a priss." I muttered, slinging my bag over my shoulder and walking into the inn.

Immediately I made my way over to the check-in desk that was on the left wall, and after seeing no sign of anyone whom could help me, I rang the bell for assistance.

I waited a few moments, but no one came.

I rang it twice more, getting the same response.

Ok. This was starting to bother me.

I rang it again, waited, and rang it for a fifth time. Still no one came.

"Calm down Rosie. There's probably a good explanation as to why there's no one here." I mumbled, trying to convince myself it was true, but in my head I was thinking the opposite.

_Whoever runs this place is irresponsible as hell, leaving their post unattended. How dare they make me wait…I think that bell is taunting me. NO ONE WILL COME IF I RING YOU. STOP. _

In an impatient rage, I started ringing the bell nonstop for at least 3 minutes. When I stopped, the ringing echoed throughout the whole lobby.

I regained my composure and smirked to myself, feeling triumphant. I told the bell that if I rang it no one would come, and once again, no one was.

"Ok. I'll wait for 5 more minutes, and if no one comes, then I'll leave." I said to myself, leaning against the desk and allowing my eyes to examine the rest of the lobby.

It was simple, with the staircase along the back wall, and an archway leading to a bar on the opposite wall. I made a mental note to stop in for a drink a little later.

It's a little known fact, but I'm a sucker for alcohol.

I glanced at the clock, seeing that only 2 out of the 5 minutes that I was allowing myself to stay for had passed.

Subconsciously I crossed my arms and started tapping my foot, growing increasingly impatient with each second. I mean, what respectable hotel owner was this irresponsible? I doubt that whoever is supposed to be running the check-in is even doing anything. Ugh. The nerve of making me, a_ princess_, wait! And not to mention-

The sound of someone noisily running down the stairs brought me out of my thoughts. After about a second, a young woman came into view, sprinting straight for the counter. She apologized over and over for making me wait.

It was rather annoying. Not to mention, she shouldn't have to be apologizing. If this inn was run efficiently, there wouldn't be a problem.

I resisted the urge to express my thoughts out loud, and instead plastered on a smile "It's okay. I just need a room."

"Sure! What kind? We have a small for 50 rupees a night, medium for 100, and deluxe for 200."

"I'll just have the small." _Obviously._

"Okay ma'am, here's your key. You'll be on the 3rd floor, room 3-08."

I wordlessly took the key and was about to walk upstairs when I remembered Sprinkles "Can you do something about my horse? Take him to your stables and feed him or something?"

She laughed "Yeah, no problem."

I continued up the stairs, not bothering to thank her; she didn't deserve it for making me wait so long.

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, the room was actually quite nice. From the inefficiency that I witnessed earlier, I was expecting it to be plain and uncomfortable. Going into the room had a small hallway, that lasted only about 7 ft., and on either side there was a door. I assumed one led to the bathroom, while the other led to a closet. The room was well lit by a large window on the back wall. On the room's right wall, there was a full sized bed with a small night stand with a lamp on it to the left of the bed. On the left wall, there was a writing desk and matching chair. Further down the wall, in the corner by the window, was a lounge chair.<p>

It was fairly simple, but I liked it.

I made my way over to the bed, with the realization that I could finally sleep. In a few seconds, my bag, belt, cloak, shoes, gloves, and sword were on the floor and I was curled up beneath the covers.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, the morning sun was only just starting to rise. I was shocked.<p>

Had I really slept that much? It was still light out when I went to sleep.

I sat up and stared out the window for a few moments, lost in my thoughts.

_What should I do today? Hmm. Well, first I have to bathe and get dressed, and then I should probably make a quick diary entry...Come to think of it, I haven't even taken a look at the area. I guess I could go exploring, I mean it's not like I have anywhere to be._

A smile graced my lips at that thought.

That's right, I didn't have anywhere to be. There was no longer a predetermined schedule that I had to follow. No more being told what to do, or where to be. No more endless hours of free time after my 'duties' and 'classes' were complete. No more being confined to the castle.

For once in my life, I am free.

This thought made me basically leap out of bed. I was actually excited for the day, a feeling I haven't had in years.

I hurried to get ready, a feat that took me at least 2 hours. Much longer than I would've like, but hey, what can you do?

As I walked down the stairs into the lobby, I noticed that there was no one at the check-in desk. Not particularly surprising, especially after yesterday. I didn't exactly want to wait for her to come back though, it would be a waste of time and- Wait, maybe I can just wait in the bar until that woman comes back.

Liking this idea, I made my way to the right side of the lobby. Just my luck, the archway had a sign blocking the entrance stating.

**THE BAR IS CLOSED**

**Hours: Twilight – Sunrise. **

Damn it. I was looking forward to a drink.

However, what was worse is that I wasn't willing to wait for someone to come back to the front desk without something to entertain myself with. There goes my idea of checking out early. It's going to be a real inconvenience to come back later just for that.

I frowned, and decided to just go to the stables instead.

"Sprinkles," I called out, getting a whinny in response from the 3rd stall. I walked quickly over to it, and let him out. "We're going exploring today."

Sprinkles blew air out of his nose, and stomped eagerly. I laughed, "Hang on; I need to see where we're going first."

I unfastened my bag's clasp, and stated "Map." From within the storage realm, which really looked more like a black abyss in a bag, the map appeared. I pulled it out and started to unfold it. As I unfolded it, the map started to develop, sensing where I was. It took a few minutes for everything to fully appear, since the magic inside of the map is quite old and, in my opinion, laggy.

I guess that's the price I pay for taking a magical item from my father.

The final thing to appear was the title. At the very top, written in big cursive letters, was "Terrains De L'errant". Next to it was a paragraph about the area.

' "Terrains De L'errant" or "Land of the Wanderer" is a very vast and plain region. Small villages, Inns, and ranches dot a majority of the territory. The land is mostly known for its' many gypsy caravans, whom are quite friendly towards travelers. The gypsies are quite superstitious and believe and know many old legends. Some other attractions that Terrains De L'errant has are Lake Calmant and the large town, Rajeunir. '

The text wasn't exactly helpful, it just stated the obvious. Although the gypsies sounded interesting, and I hope that I'll get to see some while I'm in this region.

But other than the gypsies, this place has nothing going for it. It looked really boring.

I sighed, and decided to just go see Lake Calmant. It was the closest to the inn, and since I still have to return later to check-out, it would be the smartest decision.

I put the map back into my bag and hooked it onto Sprinkle's saddle before climbing onto his back and heading off.

* * *

><p>It took me longer than I had hoped to reach the lake, which I blame on the fact that I am fairly directionally challenged. Although, I'm going to look on the bright side today, at least I didn't get lost.<p>

Rather than focusing on my flawed directional skills, I chose to enjoy the scenery.

The lake was blue and glittering with the light of the sun. There was a forest on the other side of the lake, which was just barely visible from where I stood due to the distance.

I followed Sprinkles down to the beach, since he decided to run ahead and get a drink of water. The sand looked nice and inviting, so I decided to take off my boots. I made my way over to the horse to put my boots into the bag, flinching slightly at how cold the water was.

It was nice though. Relaxing.

I stood there and closed my eyes. Forgetting everything and just feeling the small waves and hearing the sounds of the nearby forest.

All of this was soon interrupted though.

"Princess Zelda?" Someone gasped.

Those two words sent my good mood straight to Hell. My eyes quickly opened, and my head snapped over to look to where the voice had come from.

A Zora woman's head poked out of the water a little further into the lake.

"Thank the goddess you're here Zelda, I need your help!" I felt my eyes narrow into a glare. She gave me a confused look, "Is anything the matter Zelda?"

"I am not Zelda." I said through clenched teeth, feeling my nails dig into the skin of my palm as my hands subconsciously clenched into fists.

"O-oh….I'm sorry." She said quickly.

But I didn't give a shit about her apology. I quickly grabbed Sprinkles reins, and hopped onto his back, not bothering to put my shoes back on. I urged him to turn around, and start riding away from here, away from that Zora. I can't stand to be around someone who mistakes me for my sister.

I am not her. Why can't people understand?

As I reached the shore, I heard the woman cry out again,

"WAIT! I need your help. My son, he ran off and I don't know where he is."

"What do you expect me to do about it?" I asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Help me find him!"

"Hmph" I scoffed "maybe your Princess Zelda will come and help you."

"The nerve of some people" I muttered to myself, still angry about what happened at the lake.

_Yeah, people like you. You just left her there. She lost her son!_

My conscience started to activate, I tried to ignore it.

_You should go back and help her. I know you want to…_

But that was proving to be a hard task.

_It's the right thing to-_

"I DON'T CARE!" I shouted at nothing, fed up with the voice inside my head.

Thank god I was alone out here. The last thing I needed was for some random stranger to think I was insane.

_Don't you regret being such a bitch to that lady?_

The funny thing is I don't. If she wanted my help, she shouldn't have assumed I was Zelda. How I acted is perfectly justifiable, in my eyes at least.

* * *

><p>After a few more minutes, I made it back to the Inn and left Sprinkles in front. I only needed to pay what I owe and get my bag, so there was no point in putting him back in the stables. Whistling, I walked through the door and immediately froze.<p>

There, talking to Norreen, was one of the guards from Hyrule.

"I'm sorry to bother you miss, but have you seen our Princess Rosemarie?"

"No…why?"

The guard started explaining. Snapping out of my shock, I sprinted across the lobby and up the stairs to my room. Once I was in my room, I closed the door and went over to my bed, picking up my cloak and putting it on. After I pulled up the hood I walked over to the window, and waited until I saw the guard walk to the side of the building, mount his horse, and leave.

I leaned against the wall and sighed in relief. That was closer than I would've liked…

After a few more minutes I made my way downstairs to the front desk and payed my fee.

"Thank you!" Norreen said,

"Hey um, if you don't mine me asking, what was that man asking you about?"

"Oh well, he was from the Hyrule guardt. Apparently, their Princess Rosemarie has gone missing!"

"Really?" I feigned surprise

"Yeah, they wouldn't say if she was kidnapped or ran away, but I personally think she ran away. I mean, I haven't even heard of her and yeah..." She trailed off

I laughed off her comment, and responded with "Well, I gotta go now."

"Be sure to come back soon!"

I walked away from the front desk, and as I was opening the door, Norreen called out again.

"OH! Wait, I need your name. Bookkeeping purposes."

"Rosie?" I offered,

"Your full name."

"Rosemarie."

"No, your full name. First, middle, and last please."

I stared at her, debating whether or not to lie about my name or to tell her the truth. Just for shits and giggles, I decided to go with the latter option.

"Well, I suppose you can call me Princess Rosemarie Annabeth Hyrule."

Norreen's face paled and her eyes seemed that they were going to pop out of her head, she stood at the desk stuttering. I just smirked and left the building.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh hey look, an update. I'M SO ****SORRY GUYS, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A HELLA LONG TIME. I suck at updating okay.  
><strong>**Hopefully this chapter is quality enough for all of you! Enjoy!  
>Also, here's the disclaimer I always forget: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ITS CHARACTERS.<strong>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I was far away from the inn when the hilarity of the previous situation sunk in, causing me to almost fall off of Sprinkles from how hard I was laughing.<p>

Norreen's reaction. Her confused stuttering, how she broke the vase she on her desk from flailing and trying to run after me, and how her eyes seemed to pop out of her head.

My laughter lasted for at least 5 minutes, and in that time I decided it best to dismount sprinkles and use him to keep my balance while I laughed. When I finally stopped, I noticed that Sprinkles was giving me this 'you're a fucking idiot' look.

"It was funny." I stated defensively, crossing my arms. In response my horse blew air out of his nose, and looked away. "Fine. Be that way." I said, getting back on him and lightly kicking him to make him go.

* * *

><p>After a few hours of riding Sprinkles through Terrains De L'errant I was starting to get extremely bored. Everything looked the same. There was only patches grass and the dirt path that we were on, with the occasional tree, rock, or increasingly rare random building. We hadn't passed a village, forest, or other generic landmark since leaving the inn. Without a landmark that could be located on the map we were, by definition, lost.<p>

Oh, and on top of being lost, I still haven't encountered any goddamn gypsies.

I blew my bangs out of my face in frustration, shifting my gaze from the path to the grassy area on the right to see if there was anything interesting. Nope. Just a gypsy...WAIT, WHAT?

My head whipped back to the right. Sure enough, hiding not-so-discretely behind a rock and staring at me, was a gypsy. We shared a minute of eye contact before she jumped up, flashed a big smile at me, and started running away. I sat in shock for a few minutes before making Sprinkles chase after the direction she ran in.

And I must say, it was a good chase. She was extremely fast, and kept a constant distance of a few yards between us. Every so often she glanced back to check that I was still behind her. If I didn't know any better, I would think that she was trying to lead me somewhere...

I was brought out of my thoughts when I saw a strange silhouette in the distance. The girl noticed it as well, because she seemed to speed up. I tried to make Sprinkles go faster, but he gave an exhausted whinny and stayed at the same speed. It didn't matter much though, because the girl slowed back down after gaining only a few more feet of distance between us.

The shadowy outline on the horizon grew clearer and clearer with each passing minute, and soon I could actually tell what it was.

It was a camp.

As we got closer, I could make out some more details. There were many tents set up with people wandering amongst them. Soon we were actually within the camp, and I could see all of the people. I noticed that a majority of them were extremely tan with red hair, like the Gerudo, although, there were some that looked as if they were from Hylian or Sheikah descent as well.

People stopped and stared at me as I passed, some even whispered or pointed.

As much as I loved the attention, it was rather unsettling. It wasn't a "Oh look! A newcomer" type of welcome, it was more of a "Look. It's a person we've waited to see for a long time." kind of thing. I tried to just ignore it and continue on.

"Ah. I've been expecting you." I heard a voice say, causing me to jump. I looked around for the source of the voice, seeing an elderly woman standing a few feet in front of me.

"Wait. What do you mean?" I asked as I dismounted my horse.

"Follow me." She said, ignoring my question. How rude. I'm a princess for crying out loud! All of my questions should be answered when I ask them.

I grumbled a few curses to myself bitterly, but followed her nonetheless. She led me through the camp and into a large and elaborate tent.

"Stay here." I said to Sprinkles before I went inside.

The woman was in the center of the room, sitting on a cushion at a table. She glanced at me, and motioned for me to sit on the cushion opposite of her. Once I sat down, she spoke. "Hello Princess Rosemarie, my name is Everilda. I am the leader of this caravan."

"How do you know who I am?"

Once again she ignored my question, and instead asked one of her own."What are you doing all the way out here?"

"That's not really any of your business, is it?" I snapped, causing her to laugh.

"I suppose it's not. But you should tell me anyway. Don't worry, I can keep a secret." Everilda said, smiling kindly at me.

I sighed in defeat. Her smile made all of my unease disappear, and I felt like I could trust her. "There are a lot of reasons why. Mostly, I just had to get away from the castle. Away from my life and everyone in it. I want to make a name for myself, since my existence is basically a secret right now."

"What do you mean, child?"

"Well I'm a princess, and I've only met a handful of people who actually know who I am..."

"Oh Rosemarie, many people know of you."

I let out a hollow laugh, "Oh yeah? Like who? And for what exactly? Because if it's for being a princess, then that's a lie."

"I am not the person to answer those questions."

"What? Why not? Who is?"

"Everything will be clear to you in due time."

The way she avoided answering my questions really frustrated me. I resisted the urge to cross my arms and glare at her, and instead tried to calmly ask her another question. However, as soon as I opened my mouth, someone interrupted me.

"Madame Everilda! Guards from Hyrule Castle are here searching for the princess!" A young girl panted out as she burst into the tent.

"So soon?" Surprise crossed Everilda's face

"They said some woman named Norreen tipped them off."

I swore under my breath. I knew that whole ordeal with Norreen would come back to haunt me. Panic instantly started to rise inside of me. What if these people hand me over. I looked nervously at Everilda. She looked completely calm.

"I see. Tell them I shall be out in a moment." Everilda said, getting up and walking across to the girl. "Take Rosemarie with you to your tent. Give her some of your clothes; change her hair, her make-up, anything to disguise her. And most importantly, do not be seen by the guards."

The girl nodded, and walked quickly to the back of the tent, where there was another door, and motioned me to come over. I walked over to her, and she grabbed my wrist and started sprinting, dragging me behind her.

"HEY!" I shouted in surprise.

"Shhhhh" She hissed, looking back at me, "Do you want to get caught?" I shook my head, "That's what I thought. Now come on, faster." She increased her speed, and I struggled to keep up with her.

We were running so fast that everything else was basically a blur. I didn't even notice that we were inside of another tent until the girl threw a two piece outfit at my face. I caught it and looked at it with distaste.

"You want me to wear this?"

"Yes."

"But. It's so skanky." I wrinkled my nose.

"Thanks for insulting my clothes. Just put it on." She growled, obviously agitated by my comment. I decided it would be better to not argue with her any more, and changed into it. As soon as I was done, she roughly pushed me into a chair and started doing my makeup. "Hold still." The nameless girl commanded. She finished quickly, and handed me a small, slightly see through veil that would cover the lower half of my face. I put it on, and she pulled my hair into high ponytail. "Now stand up."

She walked a circle around me, and was about to say something when a small girl ran in and shouted,

"SISSYYYY, they're coming."

"Shhh, Saphy." Another girl said calmly, following the younger one inside.

"Well, looks like this is going to have to do. Okay, Rosemarie, listen up. My name is Emerald, and this is Sapphire," She motion to the youngest, "And Amber" She motioned to the older girl. "and you are our sister..." She paused tapping her chin. "Amethyst,"

"She can't be our sister, Emerald, she looks nothing like us." Amethyst pointed out. It was true, they were all tan with red hair, and I was pale with blonde.

"Shit you're right. Uhm. Well just say that you live with us, since your family was killed along with the rest of your caravan." Male voices grew louder with each second, and Emerald sighed, "Try to remember that. It should be fine."

"Should be?" I asked nervously.

"Hey, I'm not going to guarantee anything. Who knows, if you were friends with a guard he could be in this search party and know who you are just by looking at you and hearing your voice. Or, these could just be smart guards. You never know." Emerald said with a shrug.

My eyes widened, and I resisted the urge to hyperventilate. The young girl noticed my nerves, and took my hand, squeezed it, and gave me an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, they won't find out."

"Sapphire, don't promise her anything." Emerald scolded.

"But you were scaring her." Sapphire replied, defiantly crossing her arms.

"Tough." Emerald stated coldly.

Amber laughed and patted me on the back, "Don't listen to Emerald. It's going to be okay."

I gulped, praying to the goddesses that she was right.


End file.
